


Unforseen Circumstances

by kikalarachaetos



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst with a Happy Ending, Attempted Kidnapping, Depression, F/M, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Greatly, Past Character Death, Presumed Dead, after hawkmoth, and it upsets me, becasue no one ever does that, minor cannon divergence, nicer Chloé (But only a little nicer)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-14
Updated: 2019-06-05
Packaged: 2020-03-05 13:52:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18829978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kikalarachaetos/pseuds/kikalarachaetos
Summary: The day that Hawkmoth had been defeated, the city celebrated. Everyone had thought that the worst was over. All the fear and suspicion that had plagued the streets was finally over. Hawkmoth was no more. The people of Paris grew accustomed to their relative life of peace, and Ladybug and Chat Noir became less active, building lives for themselves. Hawkmoth’s Akumas no longer dominated the streets, but with the loss of his power came a newer, more troubling one.AKA: The story of what happens next.Because no one ever elaborates on what happens AFTER Hawkmoth is defeated and it frustrates this author to no end!





	1. Tears

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Miraculous Ladybug fanfiction attempt. I read so much of it. SOOOO MUCHHHH. And the one things very few authors elaborate on is what happens after Hawkmoth is defeated. Sure, there is normally an epilogue or a few chapters of tooth-rotting fluff when they finally get together and everyone is happy. But there are very few fanfiction on what happens afterwards. So I came out of hiding to offer up my own theory. This will probably be a really long fic, but I promise not to abandon it. I get really frustrated when I'm involved in a story and then *poof* it's over in the middle and I really, really want to know what happens next.

** Chapter 1: Tears **

“Are you sure you are going to be able to handle her by yourself? Mom and Dad won’t be back in town until tomorrow, and I am really, really late for patrol.”

Nino stifled a chuckle at the sight of his costume-clad wife, pacing around the nursery as their daughter watched, entranced by the bright colors of her outfit. She certainly was a sight to behold, dressed in a bright orange skin-tight jumpsuit that clung to her body tastefully, except for the very back that flared out into a tailcoat resembling a bushy fox tail. The orange coloring turned to a creamy white on her midsection, giving the appearance of the soft underbelly of the fox she portrayed. Black thigh high boots contrasted the bright colors of her costume with matching gloves that went most of the way up her arm. Even her hair shone a bright red-orange with white tips, accented by ears and a mask in the same color scheme of her costume. Tying the costume together was a small chain that held a seemingly simple charm shaped like a fox’s tail. It was her Miraculous, the source of her power.

“Of course babe, I’ve done it before.” He strolled in front of her, wrapping her in his arms in a tight embrace. “You act like I don’t know how to handle a baby.”

“You don’t.” she said plainly.

Nino let his laugh escape, reaching up, and playing with a white tipped strand of her fiery hair. Alya smiled a little as he laughed, understanding the ridiculousness of that statement. They had, after all, been parents for almost a year already. If he didn’t know how to handle a baby now, he was quickly running out of time to learn.

“I can handle her alone for a few hours, Alya. Especially since she will be asleep for those hours.” he reassured her, sealing his reassurance with a light kiss to her masked forehead. “Besides, I won’t be alone. I have Wayzz.”

“Everything will be taken care of Mistress.” came the wheezy voice from under Nino’s hat. A small, green, bug-eyed creature peaked his head out from his resting place. He resembled a turtle, though not entirely. He had a single antenna on his head, and while he had a shell, it was softer than a typical turtle’s shell. It also appeared to sit on his back like a backpack rather than attached to his limbs. He could also fly, but that wasn’t all that peculiar. All the kwamis could fly. Wayzz was Nino’s kwami. The god who resided in his Miraculous that granted him his powers.

“That does make me feel slightly better” Alya relented a little, looking up into her husband’s eyes as Wayzz retreated back to the cozy nest he had made of Nino’s hair.

Taking that as a victory, Nino pulled her closer, rocking her back and forth gently in place. The couple stood there wrapped in each other’s embrace for a few moments, enjoying the closeness of one another before the babbling of the toddler in her crib brought them back to reality.

“I’m really, really late” Alya fretted, regrettably pulling herself from her husband’s arms. He tried to hold her in place, but with her Miraculous active, she was much stronger than him at the moment. She stuck her head out the window, searching for passersby. When she was satisfied that she could escape with her anonymity intact, she turned back to her family, biting her lip.

Normally, her parents would watch Odette so that Nino wasn’t alone in the task. Three heads were better than one afterall. However, they had gone on vacation to America a week ago, and while they were returning the following day, they wouldn’t be able to watch her daughter that night. Alya had been able to avoid going on patrol most of the week they had been gone, but Chloé had put her foot down, saying that it was time that the other Miraculous holders put in their share of the work. With Ladybug being off the rotation and Chat Noir being gone for years, that left either Alya patrolling as Rena Rouge or Nino as Carapace. Nino had offered to go, but Alya had been itching to get out anyway, not normally willing to sit out of the field for this long. However, that had meant leaving Nino alone with the baby. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Nino - there was no one in the world she trusted more - but anything could happen. The death of her best friend’s husband a few months back had been a bombshell that proved just how fragile safety was these days. She opened her mouth to continue her protest, but was cut off before she was able to get out a single word.

“Go save Paris, Babe” Nino said with a grin. “Don’t forget to check in on LB. She must be stir crazy not being able to transform right now.”

“Are you sure you and Odette will be okay?”

“Totally sure. What harm could we get into?”

Alya raised her eyebrow. “Would you like a list?”

“Ha, ha.” He responded, his face deadpan, before breaking out into a smirk again. “Now go on. You have places to be, people to save.”

Alya nodded giving him one last concerned glance. He returned it with another reassuring smile as she once again checked outside for onlookers before gracefully leaping out the window. He watched her go until his orange-clad vixen was no longer in sight. Nino smiled to himself, as her figure disappeared into the distance before turning around and facing the younger version of the woman he adored.

“Okay Odette, it’s time for bed!”

The toddler in the crib stared at her papa confused, trying to look behind him for the colorful lady. She began to fuss as she couldn’t find the source of her amusement, babbling as if she could convince her papa to bring the lady back. When it didn’t work, the simple fussing turned to full out crying. Nino’s face fell slightly as the baby cried. Maybe this wouldn’t be as easy as he had originally thought.

***

Alya’s lithe figure descended into the shadows, her feet silently landing on a nearby rooftop. She sprinted quickly to the rendezvous place, hoping no one important had caught on to her tardiness. She wasn’t normally late. In fact, Alya normally had a much better track record than her best friend, Marinette. Marinette was late to everything, always. Aging had helped a little bit, but it wasn’t a surprise to see her dashing in at the last minute.

As Alya was close to reaching the Eiffel Tower, Team Miraculous’ rendezvous spot, Alya’s flute let out a small chime, indicating that someone was trying to contact her. Alya frowned as she pulled out her flute, pressing a button on the side of it to answer the unexpected call. A small screen slid out from the mouthpiece. Alya’s frown only grew larger when she saw who was on the other end.

“You’re late, Fox.” exclaimed the haughty blonde figure displayed on the screen, “Don’t tell me that scatterbrained Marinette has rubbed off on you.”

Alya, glared at the blonde. “Maybe if you had a child, you’d understand the reluctance to leave them unattended Chloé. Oh wait, that would require you to actually love someone.”

The girl on the other side of the screen scoffed. “That’s Queen Bee to you, Fox.”

There was a slight pause, as Alya debated on retorting, but she thought better of it knowing it would only lead to more arguments that she did not have time for. “Did you need anything? Other than to criticize me of course?” She snapped at the screen.

“Of course I do, why would I waste my time otherwise.” Chloé snapped back. “While you’re out tonight, check on Marinette would you?”

Alya paused, surprised at the request. It wasn’t like Chloé to worry about Marinette. Chloé hated Marinette. It had been that way as long as Alya had known them. When Alya had first started going to Françoise Dupont, she had witnessed the young diva not only bullying Marinette out of her usual seat but also vandalizing her new one with already chewed bubblegum. It had only gotten worse from there when Marinette developed a very obvious crush on Chloé’s childhood friend - and own love interest - Adrien, who had started school around that time as well. 

Alya supposed it was jealousy that had started, and then later escalated the feud. Chloé had become a bit nicer as she matured, but Marinette would never be her favorite person. Even after Marinette’s reveal of her identity as Ladybug, Chloé's’ favorite superheroine, their relationship was better, but still strained. Now however, Chloé was actively worrying about her? That was so much out of character that Alya couldn’t help but fear what ulterior motive the blonde heroine had. Marinette was in a rough sorts as it was. Though Alya was more than sure her friend could take care of herself, she knew that an unanticipated attack from an ally would only put her further into her downward spiral. Alya was unsure if this was the blonde diva’s intention, or if this was her way of extending an olive branch.

“Why the sudden change of heart?” Alya finally asked, suspicious of the newfound concern.

“None of your Beeswax!” spat Chloé before her face filled with mirth. “Look at that, I made a pun! If only that cat could see me now”

Alya was thoroughly confused with the heiress’ behavior, but shrugged it off with a roll of her eyes. She had planned on checking in on Marinette tonight anyway. Doing so at Chloé’s request couldn’t actively cause further problems. Besides, Alya had a job to do that the blonde was actively interfering with at this point. She clicked off the call before Chloé had a chance to stop cackling long enough to respond and jumped up to the main platform of the Eiffel Tower to get a quick glance around before starting her patrol.

Alya loved the view from above the city, and the best view came from the top of the Eiffel Tower. It made sense, being the heart of her beloved city, that this was her favorite place to just stop and observe the night around her. She stood still, just watching the still air around her for a moment as she gathered her thoughts. The call from Chloe had given her too much to think about.  While Chloé was acting out of character in her concern for Marinette, Alya had her own concerns.

 _Things had been going so well._ She thought, slightly discouraged. _Why did everything have to turn to shit._

***

**_The day that Hawkmoth had been defeated, the city celebrated. Everyone had thought that the worst was over. All the fear and suspicion that had plagued the streets was finally over. Hawkmoth was no more._ **

**_Paris had gasped in unanimous shock when the glamour had fallen away and Hawkmoth was discovered to be none other than Paris’ very own Gabriel Agreste. “How could such an upstanding member of society have been such a monster?” They wondered aloud, “And what of his career? His company? What of his son? What now?” There was a general concern in the populace, but no one ever stopped to think that the terror would continue after Gabriel’s incarceration. Hawkmoth’s Akumas no longer dominated the streets, but with the loss of his power came a newer, more troubling one._ **

**_Victims had said that she called herself Mayura. Her voice, gentle and reassuring, but her power was deadly and terrible. She created what Paris called Sentimonsters. Sentimonsters were emotions that personified into corporeal beings. These beings didn’t have a goal, unlike Hawkmoth’s Akumas. They existed only to cause the pain and suffering that the victims had felt when the Sentimonster was born. This made them harder to face, and harder to defeat. They didn’t have rationale, they didn’t have reason. They could not be talked down. They only caused pain to anyone in their reach. The only blessing that Paris had was that Mayura was not as active as Hawkmoth had been. Perhaps there was a shortage of emotions to prey upon? Perhaps Mayura was just biding her time? However, no one knew for sure what Mayura’s actual goal was. She came and disappeared as fast as the emotions that she perverted._ **

***

A soft sob from the streets had pulled Alya out of her thoughts. Years of having her Miraculous had given her heightened senses that she took for granted most of the time. Just like the fox she personified, her hearing was impeccable. She crouched down, listening harder to the sound of the cry. It sounded like it was coming from the park. Alya leapt gracefully down onto a rooftop and headed closer, in case there was any trouble. Patrol wasn’t just about stopping the sentimonsters that Mayura released. It was about showing Paris that their heroes were there for them, not matter how big or small their problems were.

Her deductions had turned out to be correct as Alya approached the park using her favorite mode of transportation, the rooftops of Paris. A young girl was sitting on the park bench, her phone in hand. The screen was lit, illuminating the young girl’s tear stained face. While the girl was suppressing her sobs, they were loud as thunder to Alya’s sensitive ears.

As Alya lightly landed on the park grass, the young lady’s eyes snapped up from her phone, immediately scanning the area for unfamiliar faces. She visibly relaxed at the sight of the brightly colored superheroine.

“Rena Rouge…” She breathed, barely audible.

“Rough night, Manon?” asked Alya, recognizing the troubled citizen as the child Marinette used to babysit back in lycée. She was not a young child anymore, her childish figure starting to fill out with curves of womanhood. She was short for her age, coming up only to Alya’s chest. Her dark brown hair that she had worn in pigtails as a child had been cut short in a side swept bob. She wore a green turtleneck with three quarter length sleeves that brought the green out of her hazel eyes and a tight pair of black trousers. Alya was startled at the change in the young lady, still convinced in her mind that the young child -  that Alya used to have to reign in when Marinette was too captivated by her ‘babydoll eyes’ - was in there somewhere. She hadn’t seen Manon much since graduating lycée so the difference was a bit more startling than it should have been.

“You could say that… My boyfriend isn’t answering any of my calls.” came the teenager’s bitter reply.

Alya couldn’t help but laugh, which only seemed to infuriate the girl in front of her.

“Just because you’re a superhero doesn’t mean you get to make fun of me!”

The heroine was taken aback. She wasn’t laughing at Manon to be mean. She was surprised at how much had changed in what seemed like such a short time. How was Manon old enough to have a boyfriend, let alone one that was obviously a jerk? She was about to express as much when she saw it out of the corner of her eyes. A royal blue feather floating lazily towards Manon’s phone. Alya’s eyes widened in fear.

“Manon! Fight it, Don’t give in!”

As the feather reached its intended target, Manon dropped to her knees, clutching her phone tight to her chest as a firm albeit gentle voice called out. She whimpered as the voice filled her head.

_I am Mayura. You're all alone dear, plagued by your sadness and fear, mocked by your heroes. Let me help you. Allow your sadness to be embodied in a powerful protection!_

Manon nodded, fully allowing the power to absorb her. Black shadows seemed too ooze from her eyes like tears, swirling and gathering in front of her to create a dark, corporeal figure. It was humanoid in build, though that was where the human resemblance stopped. The figure was tall and slender, reaching far above the rooftops. It’s head was not only hairless, but faceless as well except for oozing holes where the eyes should have been.  It’s limbs were long and lanky, reminiscent of tentacles in a way instead of traditional arms and legs. The creature was clothed, but it was hard to tell where the fabric started and the shadow creature began. It stared down at Alya in complete silence, eye holes dripping what looked like blood down the length of it’s gaunt face, the silence more unsettling to her than the unusual appearance of the creature itself.

“Ahh… fuck” was all Alya could manage to say.

***

Wayzz watched his master rock the child in his arms, pacing back and forth throughout the nursery as her screams drowned out the television which had been put on for her amusement. It had been like this for almost an hour now. The child was obviously tired, but was too cranky to drift off into peaceful sleep. Wayzz couldn’t help but admire the lungs on the child, not for the first time. Wayzz was normally the kwami to older men who had taken vows of celibacy. He hadn’t ever been privy to dealing with humanlings this young. Every time she did something Wayzz considered irrational, it intrigued him. It had annoyed his master on more than one occasion. Usually when Wayzz was the most fascinated was when Nino was the most frustrated.

“Come on, Odette” Nino groaned softy, “I know you’re sleepy. So sleep!”

Wayzz cocked his head at his wielder. “You have said before she cannot understand your speech yet, young master.”

“Can’t hurt to try.” he answered with a shrug.

“Young master, may I suggest a snack. Perhaps the humanling is hungry? At the very least, it might keep her mouth preoccupied” The kwami grimaced as Odette let out a particularly high pitched scream.

Nino chuckled at the kwami’s reaction. “It’s a little late for her to be eating, but I could get her a cup. It worked when she was younger. Thanks little dude.”

Wayzz grinned at the praise and watched as his master put the baby back into her crib. She screamed louder as her papa walked away and out of the room. The kwami floated above the toddler, careful to stay out of her reach. She had grabbed him once when she was even smaller. Wayzz shuddered as he remembered the grip of the humanling. He still could feel the bruises she had left on his little body. And kwamis weren’t supposed to bruise!

Odette seemed to be placated watching the floating creature above her head. She watched him intently as a yawn escaped her tiny lips. It wasn’t long before the screaming turned to silence, and then slight snoring.

Nino bounded back into the room, purple sippy cup filled with water in tow. “Are you thirsty-” he stopped short, looking at his daughter who was currently passed out on the crib mattress. His gaze landed on Wayzz, hovering above the crib. He beckoned to the turtle and as silently as possible creeped out of the nursery, closing the door as soon as Wayzz had escaped as well. He let out a soft sigh of relief.

“That was unforeseen” Wayzz said, a little puzzled. “If i had known it was that easy, I would have suggested it from the beginning.”

“I’m not complaining, little dude.”

The two headed downstairs into the living room. Nino still had to go through some paperwork before work before he was able to head to bed himself. He liked to wait up for Alya when she was out anyway. The bed was always lonely without her, and if he was able to get to sleep, it was often restless. Wayzz however, curled back up in his semi-permanent nest of Nino’s hair, snuggling him slightly as his wielder opened up his laptop to go over figures.

Nino owned a music store in downtown Paris, called Lahiffe Beats. It was his baby, more looked after than his own family at times. He was obsessed with not only keeping it tidy but up to date for all the musicians in Paris. Lately however, with Mayura being active, and Ladybug not being able to transform - and therefore not being able to do the Miraculous Cure - the store was taking damage that wasn’t able to be fixed right away. Nino was spending more money in fixing the place from the Sentimonsters than he was earning in profits. He was close to red, and the thought of bankruptcy and having to close his precious storefront discouraged him more than he let on to his wife.

The musician sighed softly as he looked at the figures on the document. The more damages the store took, the more likely closing the store was becoming. Wayzz patted his head in reassurance which Nino appreciated. Looking at the dwindling figures were just depressing him. Nino decided to distract himself with something else. He opened a new browser and typed in the address to Netflix. A good movie would keep his mind occupied until his wife got home.

“Young Master, your madame is trying to contact you.”

Nino raised an eyebrow. It was unusual that Alya tried to contact him during patrol. Perhaps she was worried about Odette. She had been quite reluctant to leave her. There was no point in keeping her waiting, whatever she needed however.

“Wayzz, Shell On!”

Nino’s pajamas were replaced with a dark green skintight bodysuit, complete with a hoodie. The main part of the suit was made with tiny hexagonal patterns. On his chest, the hexagons were light green and patterned like a turtle’s underbelly. Over his eyes, black goggles with yellow-green lenses formed, giving him the ability to protect his identity similar to his wife’s mask. As his transformation was finishing, a shell appeared on his back, dark green on the outside, light green on the inside. He quickly pulled it off his back and clicked a button on the side, waiting impatiently  as the inside of the shell revealed a screen, and on the other end his vixen.

“What’s going on babe, miss me already?”

“Mayura created another Sentimonster. I need help, already called Chloé.”

Nino frowned. Mayura had been silent for almost a month now, why was she attacking in the middle of the night?

“On my way babe.” He clicked off the screen, replacing the shell on his back. After a quick glance into the nursery and being satisfied his daughter was out like a light, Carapace headed off into the cold night air after another one of the damned creatures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've never posted my writing publicly before, so sorry if it's a bit off. Please be nice, I'm trying lol.


	2. Past Mistakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about updating a little later than anticipated. Had to wait for my editor :)

**Chapter 2: Past Mistakes**

“Well, don’t you look cozy! Nice to see you Marinette.”

Marinette faked a smile into the camera of her laptop, absentmindedly stirring her coffee. She cherished the warmth of the beverage, thankful it was helping curb her shivering. It was late in May, but it was much colder than most years, much to her chagrin. Even with the warm coffee and blanket wrapped tight around her waist, she was having a hard time keeping out the chill. Wielding the Ladybug Miraculous, as wondrous as it was, had some drawbacks. Aversion to the cold was one of the worst.

“Hi Juleka.” she responded towards her laptop. “It’s been a while.” Juleka hadn’t changed much since Marinette had last seen her six months ago. She still wore her hair long with streaks of purple hair dye like she did in lycée. She no longer hid behind it like she used to however, instead preferring to keep it tied back in a loose ponytail behind her. She was still wearing her work clothes, dark blue scrubs that were meant to be comfy and effective, rather than fashionable. They were covered with a long coat that at some point had been a brilliant white; Marinette knew because she had made it for her sister-in-law. Now however, it was turning grey in color with how much use it had gotten. You could only bleach something so much before it started to have an affect on the fabric.

“How are you holding up?” mumbled the figure on the screen.

“I’m fine.” lied Marinette easily with another smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. She continued stirring her coffee, the action becoming more of a nervous tick than out of necessity. “How about you, I haven’t heard from you since... since… “Marinette paused as her smile faltered.

“Since the funeral” her sister-in-law finished for her.

Marinette nodded, not trusting herself to speak. There was a pause on Juleka’s end before she answered as well.

“I’ve been trying to keep myself busy.” she admitted. “Luka’s death has been really hard on me. Rose is doing her best to stay happy for the both of us. I’m really lucky to have her”

“That’s nice of her. She’s good for you Juleka. I’m sure it helps to have a distraction.”

“It does. And how about you? How are you dealing?”

Marinette paused again. How was she dealing? _Not well!_ She thought _Not well at all. All I can think about is our fight before he died. All I can think about is him hating me as he died. All I can think about is how I’m raising his children… our children on my own. All I can think about is the fact that he’ll never meet his daughter…_

Her hand reflexively went to her stomach. She was almost seven months into her pregnancy, and her bump was getting huge. Funnily enough, sometimes she forgot that she was pregnant. After so many months of it, it was hard to remember a time before all the sickness, all the pain, all the cravings for mint chocolate chip ice cream. It didn’t take much for her to be brought back into the harsh reality that she was, in fact, pregnant with Luka’s child. It was then that she had to face the reality that Luka would never be around to see the fruits of their labor. That thought was always worse.

Then there was the fact that while she was pregnant, she couldn’t transform into Ladybug. When she had first found out she was expecting, she had been overjoyed. That joy soon turned to ashes in her mouth as she realized the impending implications. When she had been pregnant with her son, Louis, she had been told by her Kwami that transforming could have an adverse reaction to the unborn child. It was safer not to risk it, especially since at that time, there was no major threat. Chat Noir had also been around then, promising her that he could take care of anything that came up while she was gone. While Marinette missed the freedom of being able to transform into Ladybug, it had been only an annoyance, one that had easily been remedied when she delivered the baby safe and sound.

Things were different with this pregnancy. Mayura was active, Chat was missing, and Luka was gone before he even knew about his daughter’s existence. Every time she couldn’t transform was another time that she let her friends down. She couldn’t complete the Miraculous Cure. She couldn’t purify the sentimonsters. People were getting injured, Paris was getting destroyed and she couldn’t do anything about it. Nothing brought down Marinette like the feeling of hopelessness that lingered in her brain.

She had tried on multiple occasion to transform despite Tikki’s warnings. She was so tired of being useless, and every sentimonster that appeared made that feeling only grow stronger. Tikki always stopped her before she could get far, reminding her that the life of her unborn child was in jeopardy each minute she was in the suit. That reminder was always was able to pull Marinette back into reality. She couldn’t lose this baby. She had already lost Luka. She couldn’t lose his daughter too. She felt selfish, no matter how many times Tikki reassured her that it wasn’t selfish to care for the precious life inside of her. That creation was what Ladybug was all about.

She wanted to express all these thoughts to Juleka, who was patiently waiting for Marinette to respond. She couldn’t bring herself to dump all these problems on her sister-in-law however. Marinette had lost a husband, but Juleka had lost her brother. She had her own pain, her own hurdles to jump over. Marinette couldn’t add to it, no matter how much of a weight it would take off her own chest. She had tried to explain to Alya and Tikki how she had felt, but neither of them quite understood. Alya not understanding the survivor’s guilt; Tikki not understanding the complex feelings of selfishness and uselessness. Juleka would understand, of that she had no doubt, but Marinette could not bring herself to talk about him to the other person who had lost the world when he passed.

“I’m... doing better.” Marinette said truthfully. She had been doing better than when it had first happened, but then again, it was hard not to do better than that. She had been an absolute, unconsolable mess. Juleka seemed to pick up on the hesitance as well.

“Are you sure Marinette, you know you can talk to me right?”

“Of course!” she responded with overly dramatic enthusiasm. “If there was anything wrong, I’d totally tell you, but I’m doing much better now so you don’t need to worry at all Juleka.” Marinette finished her tirade of words with a cheesy smile, meant to reinforce the vibe she was trying to portray. Juleka was not convinced.

“Marinette, listen-”

There was a click on Juleka’s side of the camera. The noise interrupted the dark haired woman and she turned her head. A distinct sing-song voice pierced through the speakers on Marinette’s laptop.

“Juleka my love, I’m home!” sang the high pitched feminine voice. Marinette recognized it as Juleka’s other half, Rose. She saw Juleka smile and her heart broke slightly at the emotion she could read in Juleka’s face. It was almost exactly like the looks Luka had given her each time he saw her. Marinette sniffed softly, holding back tears.

“Well, I’m gonna go now, I’m sure you want to spend some time with Rose before bed. It was really nice talking to you Juleka. I’ll talk to you later”

She clicked off the call before her friend could respond and breathed a sigh of relief. As happy as she was for Juleka and Rose, she couldn’t help but feel a little jealous of the love they shared. It was even harder because of the family resemblance between the two. It wasn’t as stark as Alya and her siblings, but there was enough of one to cause a pang in Marinette’s heart.

“That wasn’t very nice of you, Marinette” scolded Tikki gently. She had come out of her hiding place once the call had ended, having been diligent about staying out of sight for as long as the video call went on. “Juleka was trying to reach out to you.”

“I know, Tikki, but it’s just… it’s still too hard right now.”

“I understand, but you need friends to help you through this. You’re not going to heal overnight.”

“It’s been six months Tikki.” Marinette whispered, tears starting to fall as she shut her laptop down and put her now empty coffee mug on her nightstand. She curled up in the blankets further, her chill now having little to do with the weather and more to do with the steady tirade of emotions that she had been doing her best to bottle up. Controlling them had become harder with the pregnancy, but that didn’t stop her from trying. 

“It takes time and patience, Marinette” reassured the kwami, nuzzling up against her cheek in an attempt to comfort her wielder.  “You’ll get there. In the meantime, it is okay to lean on your friends.”

“She lost as much as I did” the raven-haired woman sniffed. Tikki frowned. She knew that whatever she said right now was not going to register with Marinette. She was too distraught. Tikki instead busied herself with nuzzling her, allowing her master to cry.

***

Juleka frowned at the now black screen of her computer. Marinette had hung up before she was even able to get out what she had been trying to say. If only Rose had come home even a few minutes later… She loved her wife dearly, but her timing couldn’t have been more off.

Juleka had heard from Alya that Marinette had been struggling with Luka’s death. It was to be expected of course. Marinette was the type of girl to wear her heart on her sleeve. She invested everything she had into each of the people she loved. It was absolutely no surprise that Luka was no different. Alya had mentioned that Marinette was getting better, but of that, Juleka was unsure. She had seen it on her face during the call. She wasn’t getting better, she just wasn’t showing her pain as openly anymore.

She was so lost in thought she didn’t notice as Rose pulled up a chair next to her, covering Juleka’s hand with her own in a gesture of comfort.

“You okay?”

Juleka looked up at her wife and smiled at her disheveled appearance. She was wearing a striped purple sweater with matching knee length stockings that were partly covered by a plain black skirt. Her entire ensemble was dusted with dirt and glitter, matching her blonde pixie hair cut, also accented with the glitter dirt mixture. It was how she looked most every day coming home from her job at the daycare.

“I’m worried about Marinette.” Juleka responded, turning back towards her computer screen. “I video called her tonight, but she hung up when she heard you come in.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare her off.”

“I don’t think you did, Rose. I just don’t think she was ready to open up yet.”

Rose nodded looking thoughtful. “That makes sense. But if anyone would understand, wouldn’t it be you?”

Juleka shrugged. “You know how she is, she thinks she’s saving me heartache by keeping her own to herself.”

“But it doesn’t work that way?” Rose said curiously.

“I know it doesn’t. That doesn’t stop her from thinking that way. Marinette just doesn’t want to be a trouble to anyone else.” Juleka stated. “That’s why I’m worried. If she won’t open up to Alya, and she’s not opening up to me, that means she isn’t opening up to anyone. This isn’t something you can go through alone.”

Rose was silent, lost in thought. Juleka was pretty smart about these things, her being a psychologist and all. She knew that her wife wanted to help, but it was hard to help someone who wasn’t open to accepting that help.

“Maybe you can get her to talk to someone else?” Rose suggested. “Another one of the doctors at your clinic? She doesn’t want to talk to you because Luka was your brother. Maybe it would help to talk to a therapist, one that isn’t her sister-in-law?”

Juleka debated the suggestion for a few moments before speaking again. “I don’t know if she’d go for it, but it’s worth a try I think.” She smiled at her wife. “Thank you for the suggestion, Rose.”

“Of Course!” came the delighted reply. There was a slight pause before she changed the subject. “You wanna go watch some more Grey’s Anatomy?” she asked, giggling at Juleka’s wide eyed grin. She took the smile as confirmation and skipped out to the living room with her wife, hand in hand.

***

Tikki watched Marinette carefully as she pulled herself out of the bed, struggling more than she should have. She had cried for over an hour, and Tikki was extremely worried about her mental health. As time passed, Marinette appeared to cope with her fate better and better, but Tikki was worried that it was all just an act. She desperately hoped that Mayura wasn’t aware of the girl’s mental well being. Right now, she’d be a perfect target for the Peacock Miraculous.

Marinette strolled to the bathroom slowly, taking each step with care. She felt weak from the onslaught of emotion, and the last thing she wanted was to fall when there was no one to help her.

Once she reached the room, she turned on the sink faucet, waiting for it to warm up. She shivered, looking into the mirror. She was a mess. Her indigo hair had come undone from the braid she had it in, some of the wisps stuck to her tear stained face. Her bluebell eyes were puffy and red, giving her the appearance of having a horrible cold. She wore a pink camisole that her baby bump stuck out of and purple pajama pants with little black kitties on them. They were merchandise she had designed for Luka’s old band, Kitty Expression. They were her favorite pair of pajama pants. She wore them constantly, forever sewing up the multiple holes that had formed from the amount of wear they received. It didn’t help that the black cats reminded her of Chat Noir.

Not for the first time, Marinette wished her partner was here again. He would know what to do, how to handle her situation. She didn’t know what had happened to him. He had just disappeared one day, without saying goodbye. She kept hoping for him to show up again, each day waiting for him on patrol. Each day, she was disappointed. She had wondered at first if something bad had happened to him. She went to her mentor, Master Fu, not long after he had stopped showing up to patrol. He assured her that Chat was fine, but that he was going to be gone for a little while. With Hawkmoth behind bars, there was little need for two superheroes in Paris.

Mayura showed up not long after Chat’s disappearance. Suddenly there was a need for the superhero again, but he never came back. Master Fu assured her that he would return eventually, but she had to patient. And she was patient, at first, but with each passing day it was harder and harder to believe that her kitty would ever come back.

That was when the lesser Miraculous were activated full time. Marinette had pleaded with Fu for help. She was only one person. Superpowers or not, she couldn’t do it alone. He agreed, allowing her former friends and superhero allies to hold on to their Miraculouses, to help Ladybug with the Sentimonsters. It was at that point that Marinette gave up on Chat ever coming home.

Marinette sighed as she splashed the lukewarm water onto her face, washing away the tear stains from her emotional fit. Tikki watched silently, afraid anything she said would provoke another crying spell. Right now, her wielder needed rest. While it was cathartic to cry, sleep was just as helpful to recover. Her silent company was reassuring to Marinette however as she busied herself with getting ready for bed.

It didn’t take long before the raven-haired girl was back under the warmth of the covers, snoring softly. Tikki sighed a breath of relief; she had been fearing that sleep for the girl would be harder to come by. She placed a small kiss on Marinette’s forehead and curled up on the blanket next to her, determined to stay at her side all night in case of nightmares.

***

**_“Where were you yesterday?” he asked, eyebrow raised. “You could have gotten hurt! Didn’t you hear the sirens? Mayura released another Sentimonster._ **

**_Marinette flinched. Luka hadn’t raised his voice in the slightest, but after so many years of knowing him, she could sense his anger._ **

**_“I… had to go to the store for something.” she lied nervously, “I didn’t realize until after I had already left that there was a Sentimonster.”_ **

**_Luka gave her a look, indicating he didn’t buy her story for a second. Marinette paled. She hated lying to her husband, but she couldn’t tell him the truth. Her identity had to remain a secret if she wanted to keep her loved ones safe._ **

**_“Marinette… please tell me the truth. I don’t like it when you lie to me.”_ **

**_“I… I’m sorry, Luka…” she mumbled, hanging her head. She didn’t know what to tell him. He seemed to be waiting for an answer, but she didn’t speak further. Luka sighed softly, staring at his wife._ **

**_“Marinette, relationships require communication and trust. You’ve been lying to me for months. Tell me how I’m supposed to trust you.”_ **

**_“Luka-” she tried, but was cut off almost instantly._ **

**_“No Marinette, on second thought, I don’t want to hear it.” He said turning to the door. “I’m going to go visit Juleka. I can’t look at you right now. Just go back to whoever it is that you’re sleeping with. Tell him your sob story.”_ **

**_Marinette could only stare at the man she loved with silent shock as a tear ran down her face. She didn’t know what she could say without either lying or giving away her identity. How could she explain to him that she wasn’t cheating on him? That the reason she disappeared was because she had to fight the Sentimonsters as Ladybug._ **

**_“Luka.” She said more forcefully, “Please don’t leave. I promise you, I’m not cheating on you.”_ **

**_“I wish I could believe that.” he turned to face her with a forced smile, before strolling out the door, silently shutting it behind him._ **

**_Marinette stared at the closed door in shock, unable to process what was happening. She almost wished her husband had screamed at her. That would have shown passion, anger, even hurt. Luka was past all those emotions at this point it seemed. How long had he thought she was cheating on him? Long enough to be resigned to the idea without accepting another possibility apparently._ **

**_“Marinette, are you okay?” Tikki asked, retreating from her hiding spot in Marinette’s bag._ **

**_“He thinks I’m cheating on him. How am I supposed to fix this Tikki?”_ **

**_“I don’t know” the Kwami admitted. “But I’m sure you two will make up. He loves you. Just give him some space.”_ **

**_Marinette nodded, unsure what else to do but what her friend suggested._ **

**_For the rest of the day, the broken-hearted woman kept herself busy, distracting herself with everything that she could from her husband’s absence. She cooked herself and Louis grilled cheese and tomato soup for lunch. They sat down and ate together._ **

**_“Where’s daddy?” the toddler asked._ **

**_“Visiting your Aunt Juleka” was the only answer Marinette gave._ **

**_“Oh. Can I go play now?”_ **

**_Marinette gave her son her approval and cleaned up the lunch dishes. She loaded the dishwasher, wiped down the stove and counters and swept the floor. Still no word from Luka._ **

**_She decided to clean up the living room. It had been a few weeks since it had gotten a deep clean. She enlisted her son’s help, having him pick up his toys. She cleaned off and wiped down the end tables. She swept and moped the floors. She dusted all the blinds and washed all the windows. Still no word from Luka._ **

**_Dinner time soon came. Marinette decided on making stew for dinner. November nights were chilly and perfect for a nice warm stew. She cut up the potatoes and carrots. She seared the beef, throwing it in the broth. She set the table and stirred the mixture until it was nice and hot, the steam coming off of it smelling like heaven. Still no word from Luka._ **

**_After dinner, she bathed Louis and wrestled him into pajamas. After a cookie and a glass of milk, she read him his favorite bedtime story: Where the Wild Things Are. She tucked him in, kissed his forehead and turned out the lights. There was still no word from Luka._ **

**_“How much longer am I supposed to wait Tikki?” she asked her Kwami as she paced the floor in her bedroom. She had just checked on Louis, and was satisfied her son was asleep and couldn’t sneak out of bed to overhear._ **

**_Tikki frowned. “I don’t know Marinette. It’s getting late, maybe you should call Juleka, see if he’s coming home tonight.”_ **

**_Marinette took the suggestion, getting out her cellphone and quickly keying in her sister-in law’s phone number. It rang a few times and then went to voicemail. Her bluebell eyes stared wistfully at the phone._ **

**_“Tikki, I-”_ **

**_Loud sirens cut through the air, breaking the relative silence. Whatever Marinette had wanted to say had been forgotten as the sirens brought her back to reality. The sound meant one thing, another Sentimonster had been released._ **

**_“Another one so soon?” asked the Kwami._ **

**_“Guess so. Tikki, Spots On!”_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the love last chapter. It made me really happy to see comments and kudos. I've never posted any of my writing publicly before, so I wasn't quite sure what kind of reaction to expect. You guys made me feel really happy, and so I thank you! 
> 
> I know I keep hinting at Adrien without giving any straight answers, but don't worry! You'll hear his side of the story soon. 
> 
> Thank you all for reading. Until Next Week~


	3. The Plan

**Chapter 3: The Plan**

Nathalie Sancoeur had never been an idle woman. Even as a child, she had been constantly in the middle of one project or another. While most children ran around with their friends, Nathalie was lost in her own world of papers and projects. She always looked for something to do, and when that something didn’t exist, she improvised.

This specific personality trait only became more prevalent as she grew older. She was a very studious teenager, staying at the top of her class by a large margin. She kept herself busy in university with a part time job as an intern of a budding new fashion designer. It was there that she met Gabriel Agreste. She didn’t know it at the time, but Gabriel would become more important to her than anyone else in her life.

It was because of Gabriel that she found herself in this strange predicament. Never in her life had she imagined being a supervillain for the sole purpose of bringing back the dead wife of the man she loved. But here she was, creating Amoks at the expense of her own health, to help a man who would never love her back. It was toxic she knew, but she also didn’t care. Love was strange like that at times.

She had an out at one point in time. She had almost taken it, but the foolish part of her brain wouldn’t allow herself that peace. When Gabriel had been taken in after suffering a terrible defeat at the hands of Ladybug and Chat Noir, she had every opportunity to walk away. Gabriel hadn’t identified her as part of his scheme, and his son, Adrien, hadn’t suspected a thing. She had the freedom to break free from the cycle, and concentrate on her own life, but guilt had gotten in the way; Guilt that Gabriel was behind bars, and that she was the only parental figure that Adrien had left. It was that guilt, and the feelings she had allowed to blossom for her superior that made it impossible to walk away.

Her first step was to take care of Adrien. He wasn’t dealing well with the fact that his father was the face behind Hawkmoth. Nathalie hadn’t seen him that distressed in her entire life, not even when his mother had passed. Whatever maternal instinct Nathalie had, went to the young man. However, not wanting to overstep or push him away from the only family he had left, she took care of him the only way she knew how, through cold logic and competent planning.

Besides his obvious displeasure at being the son of the one and only Hawkmoth, Adrien had other issues to deal with. Gabriel was not an unknown man, and was in fact well respected not only in the fashion community but also in Paris’ social elite. Once word had gotten out about his capture and then arrest, the Agreste name, which had once struck awe in the community, had become soiled. Legal ramifications were taken against the company, bringing into question not only Gabriel’s morality and values, but more tangible things like his wealth, and his estate. Nathalie fought long and hard on Adrien’s behalf to keep him out from under the media’s fire. She had come out successful for the most part, earning him most of the shares of _Gabriel_ as well as a small fortune that she quickly tucked away for him. It wasn’t as much as he would have inherited from his father, should circumstances be different, but it was enough to give his a decent head start on his adult life. They had lost the house, but that didn’t bother Adrien that much. He had expressed that it hadn’t felt like home since his mother had died, instead it had felt more like a prison cell.

At one point during all the legal battles, Nathalie was paid a visit by none other than the superheroes behind Gabriel’s capture. It was no surprise to Nathalie, she had been waiting for it for some time. She knew they wanted the Butterfly Miraculous, but was surprised when they had asked her to locate the Peacock Miraculous as well. She had promised them she would look for them, which was a lie. She knew exactly where both of them were. Safe and hidden from anyone that might try to take them. She wasn’t about to give them back when she had her own plans for the jewels.

It was not long after that meeting that her full plan had been devised. It had seemed simple enough at the time. The first part of her plan was to distract the Miraculous holders and lead them on a false trail, while she built herself up under their noses. She agreed to a meeting with them again, saying that she had found the Peacock Miraculous. In truth, it was a replica, a near perfect one, but a replica all the same. Gabriel had made it, in an attempt to fix the real one. It didn’t work, though it was identical to the original. She was sure that the superheroes would be able to tell eventually, but for the time being, it was a good distraction.

The second part of her plan involved Adrien. At one time, Nathalie believed that Adrien was only a casualty in the war that his father had started. Suspicions had settled in however not long before Gabriel’s imprisonment. Unsatisfied that he was unable to stop Ladybug and Chat Noir time and time again, he instead busied himself with discovering their secret identities. Afterall, an enemy without powers was much easier to defeat than an enemy with powers. Akumas were sent out at the same frequency, but with a different goal in mind: To gather information. After months of investigating, Gabriel had narrowed Ladybug down to a few potential suspects. Chat Noir however, had been narrowed down to exactly one. His son, Adrien. Gabriel hadn’t wanted to believe it, chose not to believe it. Nathalie knew better however. It was too much of a coincidence to not be so. She was even more sure of it after Hawkmoth’s defeat, observing how the leather-clad superhero had behaved when his father was mentioned. She had no doubt in her mind that Adrien was Chat Noir.

Nathalie knew that getting rid of Chat would be the obvious solution, but his identity made that decision harder to deliberate than she had anticipated. Killing him wasn’t an option. In her own, twisted way, she loved him like a mother loved her son. She couldn’t kill him, even if it meant Gabriel’s success. She debated briefly on turning him over to her side, but ultimately decided against it. It was too risky. There was always the chance that he would want to stay faithful to Ladybug, and she couldn’t risk him giving away her secret before she accomplished what she needed to do.

Gabriel had proved that taking his Miraculous away was more difficult than it was worth, so in the end, Nathalie decided that getting him out of Paris was the best solution all around. It would keep him safe from any havoc she caused with her powers, and it would keep him from being able to transform and jumping to Ladybug’s aide. She had personally observed that while they made a fearsome team, Ladybug was much stronger with Chat than without.

Getting Adrien to leave Paris was a lot easier than she would have originally believed. After graduating university, Adrien was becoming stagnant. He had taken over _Agreste Designs_ -The new name of _Gabrie_ l- but it was plain that he hated it. He often delegated work to others, leaving him with an idle mind and too much free time. He wasted that time drinking, playing video games and loafing about lazily. He wanted more out of his life, but Nathalie knew he felt stuck. It was expected of him to take over the company, and so that is what he did, putting his own happiness and preferences aside.

After a particularly difficult and emotional conversation with Adrien, Nathalie organized a residence out in London so that Adrien could pursue his own interests in the scientific field. He had already gone to University as a business major to take over _Agreste Designs_ , but was ecstatic at the opportunity that Nathalie had provided him and as such, hadn’t minded the extra schooling. Nathalie herself took over as the head of _Agreste Designs._ A promotion and a few favors called in to the Imperial College of London was all it took to rid Nathalie of her Chat Noir problem.

The third and final part of her plan was much trickier than the first two parts. She needed to establish herself as a villain, and keep Ladybug and her other allies busy long enough to break Gabriel out of jail. She hadn’t been sure at first how she would accomplish what seemed like a monumental task. She had tried multiple times to distract Ladybug and her new allies, Carapace, Rena Rouge and Queen Bee, but there were too many of them and she was much weaker than Hawkmoth had ever been. In the two years that she had been active, she felt more like a Hawkmoth copycat than a Miraculous Wielder with her own agenda. It didn’t help that she wasn’t able to be as active as her former mentor due to the Miraculous interfering with her health. Nathalie was sure that if she didn’t figure out a successful plan soon, then she would soon suffer the same fate as the late Emilie Agreste.

That grim thought brought Nathalie back to the present. She sighed softly, taking off her glasses and rubbing the bridge of her nose in frustration. She had everything on her side, but she couldn't figure out how to turn check into checkmate. She was quickly running out of time, each transformation harder and harder to recover from. Ladybug was nowhere to be found, and while the lesser Miraculous were annoying, they were hardly as much of a threat without Ladybug’s Miraculous Cure.

A sharp rap on the door made her look up from her musings. She checked the time, frowning at her watch.

“Come in.” She said briskly, replacing the glasses on her face.

The door opened, revealing a young man in dark blue clothing. He was her assistant, hired not long after she had taken over _Agreste Designs._ He had shaggy blonde hair that covered his ears and a immaculately trimmed golden goatee to match. His navy suit brought out the blue in his piercing eyes, conveying a healthy amount of fear. Nathalie frowned at him as he entered.

“You’re late Aaron.” she scolded. “Did you bring what I asked for?”

“Yes Ma’am. I have it right here.” He handed his boss a manila envelope. “It took a little persuasion, but he handed it over well enough in the end.”

“Excellent.”

Nathalie took the envelope from her assistant and opened it slowly. This is what she had been waiting for, the missing piece. She took the papers out of the envelope, her heart aching slightly at the very familiar handwriting. Cold and precise, much like her own. She put the papers down, smiling at the confirmation of what she had suspected. It was time for action. She finally knew how she would complete her goal.

But first, it was time to make another Sentimonster.

***

**_His body lay there, cold and limp. Ladybug let out a high pitched scream, unable to believe it. It couldn’t be him, it couldn’t. This was all just a bad dream, a bad dream that she would wake up from. She swung her yo-yo towards his body, unable to stop tears from coming to her eyes. It’s just a bad dream. There’s no need to cry. Luka would be back at home, waiting for her._ **

**_As the spotted heroine swung closer, she could make out the tell-tale blue in his hair. There was no mistaking that it was Luka. She ran to him, picking up his lifeless body in her arms. Tears fell thicker as she realized how heavy and stiff he was._ **

**_“Luka, wake up.” she whimpered. “Luka!” She looked around quickly, making sure no one was watching her and released her transformation in a flash of pink. She ignored her Kwami in favor of the corpse in her arms, unable to come to terms with what was happening._ **

**_“Luka, wake up!” she screamed at him. “Wake up! Wake up!”_ **

“Wake up!”

**_“Wake up.”_ **

“Wake up!”

**_“Wake up Luka, you have to get up. It’s not safe here. Wake up”_ **

“Mama, wake up.”

**_“Wake up… Please…”_ **

“Wake up, Mama. I’m scared.”

Marinette whimpered, opening her eyes just in time to watch her toddler climb on top of her, shaking her vigorously.

“Mama, something’s happening. Wake up!” the toddler cried frantically

“I’m awake little one.” she yawned, pushing her heartache aside in favor of her child. “Why aren’t you in your bed?”

“Something’s happening Mama. I hear loud noises!”

“Loud noises?” Marinette questioned

“They’re coming from outside!” the young messy haired boy forced himself into his mother’s arms, sticking his thumb in his mouth for comfort. Mama would keep him safe.

Marinette obliged, holding her son for a moment before a loud bang from outside her window startled him, making him cry.

“It’s okay little one,” she cooed, smothering his hair “You stay here, Mama will go look and see what’s causing the noises, okay?”

After some persuasion, the little blue-haired boy nodded, his thumb still in his mouth. He curled up in his mama’s still warm blankets, awaiting the results of her investigation. Marinette pulled herself out of bed, sparing a quick glance to make sure Tikki was hidden. Louis was getting old enough to know that the floating creature was out of place. All it took was a word to the other kids at daycare for her identity to be blown.

Satisfied that Tikki wouldn’t be found, Marinette slowly ambled towards the window. It wasn’t long before she found the culprit of the noise across the road at the park. It was a large, black, slender creature made up of shadows. Marinette bit her lip, recognizing it at once.

“Sentimonster…”

She threw open the window to get a better view. The unmistakable bright orange meant that Alya had made it to the scene already. Marinette watched, grateful that it was being taken care of quickly. She couldn’t use her cure, so if anyone got injured, or if anything broke, it would have to stay that way. A quick resolve meant less damages in the end.

Sirens blared, signaling the existence of the Sentimonster and warning passersby to clear the streets. The eerie sound brought the arrival of the other two Miraculous holders to the scene, as well as a curious Louis to the window at which his mother stood.

“It’s Mayura again.” he said, matter of factly. Marinette nodded her agreement, picking him up so that he could see what was going on. The park was far enough away from the bakery that while they were close to the action, they had enough time to get away before being put in immediate danger. Together they watched the fight unfold in silence.

***

“The Amok is in her phone” shouted Rena Rouge, leaping out of the way of the shadow creature’s swing. She landed on top of the Merry-Go-Round, looking for an opening, as the green clad superhero summoned his shield. The arrival of her husband was a welcome sight. She had been holding off the creature by herself for quite a long time, annoyed that the fight was lasting longer than she had anticipated. The battle was starting to wear down on her, and she was having a hard time concentrating on how to take care of the beast with as little damage to their surroundings as possible. All it would take was one good swing to immobilize it, then they could get to the Amok.

The monster turned to face her curling it’s tentacle-like limbs around the fox. It squeezed around her, like a snake, lifting her up from her perch on the Merry-Go-Round. She cried out, unable to break free from it’s grasp.

Carapace hurriedly threw his shield at the creeping limb. It whistled through the air, neatly slicing through the spindly arm that was wrapped around his wife. The creature turned to face it’s attacker, staring without a sound at the turtle with its hollow eye holes. It’s silence made Carapace uneasy. He crouched down to retrieve his shield, ready for another swing. His eyes stayed fixated on the monster, not willing to allow a surprise attack.

The severed limb was still wrapped tightly around Rena. She fought against the limb wildly, attacking whatever part of it she could reach. Without the monster’s control, the pressure lessened, allowing Rena to break free. The shadow limb fell to the ground, wiggling around like an earthworm.

The Sentimonster held up the nub of it’s severed limb, letting the dark liquid that was coming from the wound fall freely. As it’s blood fell to the ground, Carapace grimaced as it ate through any substance it touched like acid.

“Note to self. Don’t touch the scary monster blood.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” came a haughty new voice, accompanied by a blur of yellow. “So Turtle Boy, where is the Amok? I don’t have all night.”

“In her phone, according to Rena”

“I’m on it” Queen Bee exclaimed, throwing her spinning top at the shadow creature without hesitation. It wrapped around the Sentimonster’s lower limbs, but the creature swatted the weapon away. It was ignoring the heroes for the most part, instead it’s attention was focused solely on the wound of its arm as translucent black wisps escaped the monster’s eye holes. The shadowy substance began to wrap itself around the nub of the damaged arm. The heroes couldn’t help but watch in a mixture of horror and fascination as the creature’s tears rebuilt the detached limb in a matter of moments.

Rena was the first to snap out of the trance. “Carapace, cut off it’s legs!” shouted the fox. “Queen Bee, Immobilize it when it’s trying to regrow them.”

Carapace nodded, mostly to himself, before throwing his shield at the Sentimonster again. The dome of metal flew through the air, but the creature was faster slamming it’s newly regrown arm down on top of the green clad superhero before he could move out of the way. It’s other arm was swatting Queen Bee away, stopping the heroine from attacking its flank while it concentrated on the greater threat. There was a loud thunk as the turtle’s shield struck into a nearby tree, narrowly missing the intended target.

Carapace flew back as the shadow limb hit him square in the gut. He let out a groan as his body hit the ground forcefully. He mumbled a few choice words under his breath, thankful for the extra constitution his Miraculous gave him. If he were just a normal civilian, he was certain that force of his unexpected flight would have been enough to seriously injure him, if not kill him. He forced himself back to his feet, looking around for his shield before the monster was able to strike again.  He was pleasantly surprised to see that the monster was ignoring him, currently distracted by his partners.

Queen Bee was persistently throwing her top at the creature, trying to trap it with the weapon’s strings. She was growing increasingly more frustrated as the creature would either dodge completely or push her out of the way as if she were a bothersome fly. One the rare occasion that she could land a hit on the beast, the strings of her top would trap him for only a moment or two. One of the creature’s more annoying traits was his ability to turn his limbs translucent, and therefore allowing the strings to pass through him.

Rena Rouge on the other hand, was keeping the monster’s attention split between herself and an illusion of herself she had created. Both her and her mirage were running around, drawing the attention of the monster long enough for her partner to try and land an attack. Carapace cheered them on silently, attempting to sneak past the monster to the tree in which his shield was currently embedded. After successfully sneaking past the distracted creature, he busied himself with removing the dome from its current wooden sheath.

“Carapace, look out!”

Carapace turned away from finagling with his shield just in time to see the creature hurtling his arm at his again. He ducked, the limb instead hitting the tree behind him. There was a sickening crunch as the tree splintered into toothpicks, his shield easily coming undone at the force. Carapace grinned, picking it up when it fell as the limb came back for another swing.

“Shelter!” he cried, creating a large green bubble around him, protecting his body from the second attack. The creatures arm slammed against the bubble at breakneck speed, but the protection held.

Rena Rouge growled, animal instincts taking over and struck at the beast’s arm with her flute. She hit hard enough to feel her arm vibrate with the hit, but it didn’t do anything save distract the creature long enough for Carapace to get out of the direct line of fire. He took the opportunity to drop his bubble and throw his shield directly at the creature while it was distracted. It sliced through the shadow creatures legs, its black blood splashing Rena as it struck. She cried out as the acid like substance hit her skin.

“Rena!” Carapace shouted, distracted by her scream.

“I’m fine!” she hissed, trying not to let the pain show. “Get the Amok.”

“Right!” he said, racing towards the hunched over Manon.

Queen Bee watched as the turtle ran towards the girl, glancing over at the Sentimonster in case of a surprise attack. The creature’s attention was towards its legs, just like Rena Rouge had predicted. The black and yellow heroine smiled at the opportunity.

“Venom!” she shouted, letting her weapon pulsate in her hands. She punched the shadow creature square in the chest with the vibrating top. Empty eye hole looked at her in what she assumed was surprise as it froze, unable to do anything but stare eerily it’s captor. Queen Bee smirked at the immovable creature, only briefly glancing at Rena Rouge when she landed next to her.

“Don’t get any of that blood on me, Fox.”

“Thanks for the concern Chloé. Really appreciate it” Rena sighed.

“That’s Queen Bee.” the blonde corrected. “And you’re still alive aren’t you, so quit your complaining.”

Rena stayed silent, knowing that arguing with her would only sap her strength even more. The fight was over. Carapace would release and capture the akuma in a glass jar. From there, it would be stored until Ladybug was able to purify them again. Luckily, this one didn’t cause too terribly much damage. It wouldn’t take the cleanup crews too long to get the park operational again.

 _It could have been much worse,_ thought the fox, watching as the monster disappeared. She turned towards her husband who had captured the Amok and was now talking to a very distressed Manon. She visibly relaxed, knowing her husband would make everything right. He was always good at this part. He was empathetic, and knew exactly what to say to make the victims feel better. She envied that ability.

“Well, it looks like you got it under control now. I’m going to bed!” yawned Queen Bee. “I trust you can get the Amok to Ladybug without screwing it up?”

Rena nodded. “I’m going to see her after we wrap this up.”

“Good.” Queen Bee’s face softened a little. “Make sure she’s doing okay. All the stress and worry can’t be good for the baby.” She looked up towards the bakery, not at all surprised to see a shadow moving away from the window upstairs.

Rena bit her lip at her teammate’s concern, but said nothing. It wasn’t worth the argument. Chloé seemed to notice her hesitation too.

“Don’t read too much into it, Fox. I’m just concerned for the baby. That’s all.” she huffed and swung her top towards a rooftop, disappearing into the night.

Rena turned back towards her husband, who had finished with Manon and was now walking towards her, concern filling his eyes.

“You okay, babe?” he asked, looking her over for any fatal wounds. She smiled at him.

“Just a bit sore. No major harm done.”

“I’m sorry… I should have waited until it wasn’t so close.”

“Nonsense!” she chided. “Who knows if we would have gotten another opportunity.”

“I know but-” he started, but was interrupted by his wife leaning in and kissing him.

“I’m fine, Nino.” she smiled. “Now go get home to Odette. I’ll be there soon. Won’t be much point to patrol since Mayura already made a Sentimonster. I just want to see Marinette first and give her the Amok.”

Carapace nodded, holding out the glass jar for his wife to take. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Alya held onto her smile until her Carapace was long out of view. She let out a sigh, walking towards the alley by the bakery. She knew Marinette kept the side door unlocked incase any of the heroes needed a safe place to detransform. Tonight however, she was too distracted by her racing thoughts to notice that there was someone lurking in the alleyway, hidden by the shadows.

This fight had been very hard on her. It was like she couldn’t do a thing to the creature. It just zapped her stamina and led her to make more mistakes. Normally she wouldn’t have made such a rookie mistake, getting in the line of fire. The acid stung her skin, and she was pretty sure it had hit her Miraculous as well. Trixx would need a bit of time to recover before going anywhere.

Without the Miraculous cure, she was taking longer and longer to recover in between fights. Alya was thankful that Mayura seemed to need time to recover too, normally fights were days or weeks apart. Lately however, they had been ramping up. Was she planning something?

“Trixx, Let’s Rest” said the superheroine, almost as an afterthought before opening the side door directly into the bakery. There was an orange flash as she let go of her transformation. It was the last thing she remembered before darkness overtook her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is so late, I had a really hard time writing this one. Action sequences are not my forte it seems. Plus, getting into the head of Nathalie was a lot harder than I had originally anticipated when I first thought up the idea for this fic. I'm sure it will improve as I go forward however. 
> 
> I'm learning that I'm not a superhero myself. I had originally went into this thinking that I could do weekly updates without much of a problem. But between work, kids, Fibromyalgia and then planning and running weekly Dungeon and Dragons sessions, I don't have as much time to write as I used to. So, it will most likely take a bit of time before updates. I do promise I won't abandon this fic though. It will come to an end, just be patient. :)
> 
> Thank you to all my readers and subscribers. Thanks for all the comments and kudos. Y'all make me so happy :')


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